This invention relates to a composition and method for both coloring wood to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the grain, and for preserving wood against various destructive organisms or environmental agents responsible for rot and decay. More particularly, this invention relates to a composition and method whereby the coloring and preserving of the wood may be accomplished simultaneously, in a single application, or sequentially, in two separate applications which may be performed in either order.
It has long been desirable to produce wood products that are artistically and aesthetically acceptable to the public, yet preserved from the destructive agencies of wood. Wood that is colored and preserved is desirable for the home, and is used in the siding, fencing, and decking industry. Unfortunately, many of the preservative solutions used to preserve wood from wood destroying organisms impart their own color to the wood. In many cases the coloration imparted by the preserving solution is undesirable for one reason or the other.
One technique currently used to color wood is to paint the wood with an oil base paint or pigmented coating. Depending on the type of preservative used, some of the coatings will not adhere to the wood, resulting in blistering or flaking in a short period of time. Conventional petroleum based preservatives, such as creosote or pentachlorophenol pose problems because of oily films left on the treated wood, which may require several months to season, and even after such seasoning, it still may be difficult for paint or stain to penetrate the oily residue left behind. Water based preservatives are more desirable than conventional petroleum based preservatives because the wood is not coated with a film and can be readily painted or stained after treatment. However, coloration is only imparted at the surface of the wood with these techniques, resulting in limited permanence to weathering.
Alternatively, the wood may be precoated with a coloring agent such as an oil base or latex paint followed by treatment with the wood preservative. Many of the oil base paints or latex paints will form a coating on the wood which reduces or eliminates the penetration of the preservative into the wood. In many cases, the coatings and preservatives are incompatible with one another.
Many conventional processes are available for coloring and staining wood, while several processes are available to preserve wood from the various wood destroying organisms. Yet very few satisfactory methods are available to color and preserve the wood simultaneously. The processes that are available are less than desirable because many are multistepped operations. Many conventional processes provide only a surface coloration which will scratch or wear away and require additional treatment or servicing for exposure to long term weathering.
In view of the many shortcomings applicable to the current methods of coloring and preserving wood, it is desirable to have a process which is not only capable of coloring and preserving the wood by a single operation, but also results in the penetration of the color into the wood to provide for long term application and stability.